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Sunday Fulham Stuff (25/02/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, February 24, 2018, 08:13:02 PM

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WhiteJC


Mitrovic targets second place
by Dan on February 25, 2018

Aleksandar Mitrovic was delighted to score his first goal after Craven Cottage in Fulham's fine win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last night – and he is now targeting the Championship's second automatic promotion spot.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side stretched their unbeaten run to twelve league games by beating the league leaders in front of the Sky cameras courtesy of strikes from Ryan Sessegnon and the Serbian striker. Mitrovic told FulhamFCTV that the Whites fully deserved the three points against Nuno Espirito Santo's side:

    It was a really nice game – an important three points and we really enjoyed today. We played good football and in the end we scored two goals. The fans were happy, we were happy and we have now two days to rest and then we have to prepare ourselves for our next big game.

    They are a really tough team. They had some good forward players, very fast, very skillful but we managed them really good today. Our defenders did a really good job and we scored our goals in the right and we took chances to win the game. It was a really opponent to play against but showed character, good team spirit and, in the end, we did what we wanted before the game,

The on-loan Newcastle forward scored a tremendous second goal to clinch the victory with twenty minutes left, shrugging off the attentions of Conor Coady and firing an unstoppable shot past John Ruddy in the Wolves goal.

    I had the man on my back but this is my style – this is where I want the people, where I like to be and the last few games they use me really well. They know my qualities, they know where I'm strong so they try to use me. My first goal at the Cottage was a nice feeling and I hope I can continue with this.

    This club, this stadium – everything here is full of tradition and you can feel it on the pitch that the fans are really passionate. This is my third game at home. Against Villa was unbelievable, today was unbelievable and I hope they will stay behind us for the rest of the season because we need them. They helped us a lot and I want to thank them and I ask them to stay behind us.

The 23 year-old insists the rest of the division is now fearing Fulham and there's no reason why Jokanovic's side can't look to win promotion alongside Wolves if they can keep this flawless run going – starting with next weekend's trip to promotion rivals Derby County.

    I think everybody since last season is scared of Fulham – the way we play I can say nobody likes it, because we play with a lot of possession and we create a lot of chances every game, so I think any team in the Championship doesn't like to play against Fulham. Twelve games unbeaten is an important thing as for the confidence and mentality of this team as we look forward and try to win every game. There's a lot of games to play until the end of the season and we'll fight for second place.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/mitrovic-targets-second-place/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham boss Jokanovic hails Mitrovic

Slavisa Jokanovic hailed the impact of Aleksander Mitrovic after he scored his second goal in two games.

The on-loan Newcastle man added to Ryan Sessegnon's opener in a 2-0 win over league leaders Wolves that extended the Whites' unbeaten run to 12 games.

"We played well without Mitrovic (before he arrived) but now he opens up to us different options," boss Jokanovic said.

"He's working in the right direction, holding up the ball a lot for us, and he scored another goal. But underlining that, his team is working well. All players had a very good game.

"I think it's one of the best games we can find at this level. They are a strong and fast team, (but) we showed we could play against them.

"We showed aggression, we were brave, with great attitude, and we had control of the game, so we must be satisfied."

The victory cemented Fulham's place in the top six and closed the gap to five points on second-placed Cardiff, who play on Sunday.

But Jokanovic said: "We are only looking for the next game, and another opportunity to fight for three points.

"This game will soon become part of history and then we will move on to another game. Where we are going to finish, I cannot answer. Really I don't know."



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/jokanovic-hails-aleksander-mitrovic-newcastle-united-loan

Bill2

Quote from: WhiteJC on February 25, 2018, 08:27:26 AM

There's only one Bobby Moore
by Sarah on February 24, 2018

Like so many people I've met, my Dad is the reason I'm a Fulham fan. He took me to Craven Cottage when I was two, apparently, after the vociferous protests of my mother, who felt football wasn't a place for a little girl. I think he had hoped he'd have a boy enjoy walking along Stevenage Road on a Saturday afternoon with – but neither me or my sister were able to oblige him – and he was genuinely surprised when I loved it just as much as he did.

When I was about six and had started playing football at school, he took me to Wembley for the first time. I remember staring at the old arch in awe before he nudged him as a smartly dressed man walked past. Dad explained, as the man was smiling and shaking hands with people who came up to great him that the friendly gentleman was England's greatest ever defender. I think I must have given him a quizzical look because he also told me that he captained England when they won the World Cup and he played for Fulham. 'That's our team,' I said. My Dad smiled.

Until my Dad died, it was a little family tradition that we would watch England at least once a year. A few years later, we had great seats for a game against San Marino – presumably because nobody else was that excited by the opposition – and, now having started high school, I had a bit more confidence when we bumped into Bobby Moore again by chance just as he was preparing to commentate on the match. I told him I was a Fulham fan and that my Dad said he was the best defender he'd ever seen. He laughed. 'I'm not sure he's telling you the truth,' and signed my autograph book. That turned out to be Moore's last public appearance, as he died a week later – 25 years ago today – after a brave battle against cancer. When I realised the date today, I fished out my old autograph book and found the inscription, 'To Sarah, Well done on supporting Fulham. Best wishes, Bobby Moore'. It is all the more poignant now as my father also was taken too soon by bowel cancer, the disease that Stephanie Moore launched such a public campaign about after Bobby's death.

I was obviously far too young to appreciate just how great Bobby Moore was, but I remember thinking he was a very friendly man. My Dad scolded me on the way back to our seats for interrupting Mr. Moore 'whilst he was working'. He then told me of his joy of leaving work to find out that Moore had signed for Fulham, having been let go by West Ham. He told his mates at the pub – and they all thought good old Tony had been taken in by a prankster or something, until they read the next day's newspaper. It was no coincidence that the Whites reached Wembley during Moore's first season in the team, where of course they were beaten by his old club in the 1975 FA Cup final.

When you read the two excellent biographies, one written a while ago by Jeff Powell and a more recent but superb volume from Matt Dickinson, you realise how badly Moore was treated by the English footballing authorities after he retired. I've been fortunate enough to meet some of the people he played with and watched countless videos of him action, being far too young to have seen him myself – and have seen or heard nothing to dissuade me from my father's admittedly impressionable view. It seems a terrible waste that he died in Putney contributing to radio commentaries alongside his good friend Jonathan Pearce in the final years of his illustrious life as a way of giving something back to the game he loved.

I spent far too long browsing on the Fulham website this morning, looking at the photos of Moore's time at Craven Cottage, which is usually relegated to something of a footnote after those famous years with the Hammers in the retelling of his extraordinary career. There's an excellent feature with Les Strong recounting the experience of playing alongside Moore, which seems the most magnificent privilege. Apparently, there's more in the programme for today's game against Wolves, which makes it a must purchase for me.

My Dad wasn't given to much hero worship. He was a simple man of few words, who spent most of his working life driving buses, which is probably why his praise for Moore has always stuck with me. I played centre back at school, for a local girls' team and at university, and that meant I was subjected to many sermons on the art of defending. I'd always have questions and eventually my poor Dad shrugged his shoulders and made me watch videos of Moore. I can hear him now: 'Look how much time he has. How easy it is. And he could pass. You must be able to anticipate, Sarah. You can see it all from defence'. I must have looked a right idiot to emulate Moore's composure on the football field.

In today's game, I'm sure Moore would be worth millions. From everything I've read, he was one of the game's best defenders. I'm sure he would have been at home in Slavisa Jokanovic's defence, with his reading of the game and extraordinary range of passing for a centre half. I'm pleased to have met Bobby Moore, even if it was for a few fleeting seconds. He's a part of Fulham's fine history. He was wasn't just my father's hero, he was a whole country's. There's only one Bobby Moore.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/02/theres-only-one-bobby-moore/
What a lovely article by Sarah, I am quite jealous of her autograph and if mine would be in a frame on the wall with a picture of Bobby, in a Fulham shirt.